RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1402, 30 March 1912, Page 12

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

A GREAT THEOLOGIAN

*~ THE LATE DR. FAIRBAIRN

"Alpha," irritiiiff in tho "Manchester Guardian," states:— . There can bo no question that Dr. i-air-bairn was tho greatest theologian ot his generation among Frco Churchmen. Many would go further and say that ho was tho greatest British theologian ot. tho latter half of tho nineteenth century. Newman and Maurice worn tho outstanding personalities in the middle of the century. Ihe Cambridge triumvirate, Lighttoot, Weslcott, and Hort. appealed to the next generation more on tho.ground ot their exact and searching scholarship in -New . .testament and historical studies than by reason of fresh contributions to thought. H would be ditlicult to lind anyone at that time who surpassed Or. l'airbairn in the region of attract theology. We think ot the two Cairds as distinctive lights on the philosophical aspects of theology, but scarcely with tho varied spiritual and personal interests of the great Noncon-, lormist divine. Among. Free Churchmen tho name that would occur to us next would be that of Dr. \V. Dale, of Birmingham, whoso work on the Atonement has long been accepted as,a.standard authority for the tlienrv it expounds. But Dr. I Dale would confess hiinsoir 'an amateur ! in comparison with the exhaustive learning and profound thinking of Dr. l'airbairn. In Dr. l'airbairn more than in any other man I have kuewn there was the ■ richest combination of the historical and tho philosophical. I should be disposed to think him greatest on the historical side. He was a master of tho art of exposition when he had the ideas-of some-thinker of first.rank to expound, lie always mndo von fee! that, tho subject .of. his exposition was a personality,- a' living man: - Some people have complained that,■..while -you were charmed with Dr. l'airbairn's luminous expositions of the ideas of other teachers and struck with the brilliance of his criticism—which would be pitiless where he felt that vital truth-was at-stake-you could not always (ell exactly what his own beliefs on this or that point of the Christian faith really was. Perhaps not. He nlwavs gave you ari'iinnression of the complexity and many-sidedness of. truth; He had not the creed that "could be put in a nutshell.' Then the Hesrelian flavour that pervaded his thought, though not by any means to the. decree, manifested in Edward'Caird's thinking/ necessarily shrouded it in more or less obscurity for those Philistines'among us who had not made themselves .familiar, with "the.,secret of i Hegel.'' On the other hand, Dr. FnirbaiVn's.erisii, antithetic, style, his Merodithian. aphorisms, and the rich piclnresquencss of his historical portraiture carried vou. along through many an obscure metaphysical'argument with an assurance 'that was satisfying at the time, although vou could'not'"always "justify!'it in ccol "subservient reflection. One thing was clear, and never to be missed. This was tho centraiity of Christ in his teaching, and thatwith no befogging- vagueness, that allowed of-a seiiaratiou. between the historic Jesus iiiul the Christ." idea. His. theology.was Christo-centric in resting on the incarnation, the perfect divinity and humanity, and the, present living personality of our lord. .He was emphatic on of the Cross, bill: perhaps not so clear here as theologians . of the school of Dr. Dale. Dr. Dennoy;'and Dr. Forsyth might desire: His.personal kindness," especially to young men. was- unfailing. I remember him. asking in one of his public .prayers that the older men might have grace' to respect youth.; !"

BELATED CHRISTIANS

LAY OFFICIALS-WHO LAG. BEHIND,

The Bishop of lowa is a 'prelate with a trenchant .pen, .and the .'lay .officials of his Diocese can' reckon on "the truth in love" 'vrJien his 'Lordship speaks his mind; Discussing- parochial management, he observed in a recent pastoral letter, to his clergy and laity that,-'thorp-are; parishes 'in every • Jh'oceso . from the fact 'that to bo leaders in all aggressive work, aro some-times in church mal'v.'rs Mated Christians and officially behind the times. They ore often wide awake business men; but when it tomes to tho Church they aro just where their fathers were. They have brought all of the affairs in which they aro interested up to date except their church affairs. Xo wonder somo parishes do not grow, 10r there is opposition to .every effort to improve conditions. The clergy may be lacking in initiative and wise activity, but they sometimes aro .what they are because they early became discouraged from lack of sympathy, and sometimes because they have met. positive opposition when trying to keep'the parish in touch with movements which wero quickening the Church. When a vestryman of. influence makes himself so disagreeable every time missions are mentioned that he intimidates a priest, and the priest at. lost is compelled to say little or. nothing publicly, that vestryman ought to be held up to the scorn of the Church at large. There is one way, aihb' the Bishop, to escape the setting forth of the Church's opportunity and duty, and that is to leave the Church. Getting rid of the present pastor will not help any parish to escape. The Church as a whole is growing, making advance, becoming more confident of her mission, and no priest or parish can prevent the inflow of the new spirit. Besides, who wants to belong to a dead Chureli?—and tho Church that is not n'.-akirig demands, not. advancing, not doing things, is dying; it will soon be dead. —"Scottish Chronicle."

OBITUARY.

DR. WIIJ.IA.iI CLARKE. The death is reported, on January It, at Delaut, Fbrida, where he was spending the winter, ol Dr. William Newton Clarke, who won a sudden but lasting reputation a >\'\v years ago by his authorship of uuc of the mo>.t remarkable theological 'textbooks of the period (says the ".Christian World"). Ho was born in New Ytirk State in 1311. At the age of twenty-two he entered the Baptist ministry, and held "pastorates successively at Jumna (New Ilir.'.ipshiroi, Newton Centre (Massachusetts), and .Montreal. From If»:! to fSST he .was Professor of Xcw Tcstuinent Interpretation at the Toronto Baptist College. Ho then resumed the active ministry at Hamilton, a small town —scarcely, in fact, more than a village— in hi.s native State. Hamilton is the seat of n Baptist institution called Colgate University. | In 16!>0 the occupant of tho Chair of Dogmatic Theology was taken ill, and Dr. Clarke, was asked to supply tho temporary vacancy. Ho did so with .such efficiency that tho college was unwilling to let him go, and ho spent the rest of his life as a member of. its teaching stall, tirst in tho department of Christian Theology and afterwards in that of Ethics and Apologetics.

Dr. Clarke was scarcely known outsido his local circle when, in 189 S. at tho age of fifty-seven, he published a volumo with the unpretentious title of "Outlines of Christian Theology." In, England, no loss than in America, its value was instantly recognised, although its author was an unknown man, attached to an institution of which few people in this country had over heard. As a theological treatise it was decidedly unconventional in its form. Not ono of "its nearly 500 pages had a single footiute. From beginning to end no "authorities' wore quoted. It contained no preface, and started with the simple and direct paragraph: "Theology is preceded by religion, as botany by tho life of plants. Religion is'tho reality of which theology is tho study." There was nothing sensational either in the doctrines of the iioolc or in their expression, but it gripped attention at onco by the honesty of its thought, the sanity of itj judgment, and the lucidity of its style.

illt. A. (TAYLOR INNES. I'he neiri of tht death of Mr. S. UVjlor J.nncs, LL.D., the well-known Edinburgh advocate, will cause widespread regret among tho friends of tho United Free Church throughout the world. Mr. limes eniffveil tho conlidwii.'e of leaders of that Chiir'eli to a remarkable decree. Principal Dobs and ho iforn' 'lifelong friend.-. It is also iifiturnl that I'rineipul Wlivle, the minister of St. (.ieurgo's V. !.•'. Church, n[ which Mr. limp's was for a lon;,' period, 'and up till the time of his death, a respected' orticc-bearer. should have been on terms of familiar friendship; but perhaps no one had a larger place- in his affection than Principal fiamv. bv whom those feelings were abundantly feciprocatod. Mr. Innes was originally'intended for the ministry, but on account of credal difficultioa his nttiation aid to hn turned slmttact*. la

church work, however, lie found full scope for his inclinations in that directum. Ho was the author of several notable works. Forty years ago he wroto n work upon tho haw of Creeds which was very freely applied to, cveii by the jtidues, in coniioction with tho great Church caso, ami with which it has been said that ho achieved tlio impossible as he mndo his volume upon that iitipvomi> : iinj- subject moro entrancing than any novel. Among his other works are "Studies in Scotch History," "JohnKnox," and. "Tho Trial of Jesus Christ." Ho married in 1680 a daughter of .Mr. Dingwall Fnrdyce, of Brucklav, but their wedded life wit brief—"Christian World."

BISHOP OF ATHABASCA. Tho Bishop of Athabasca (Dr. George, nolmes) died on February 3 at the houso of liis relative, Key. Frank Swainson, vicar of St. Barnabas, -Holloway. Dr. Holme?, who was 52 years of age, came to England shortly before Christmas for a brief stay, but caught a severe chill whilo addressing meetings. Ho went out. to Canada, under the C.AI.S. in ISBS, and became Archdeacon of Athabasca in 191)1. He was appointed Bishop of Jloosonee in I'JOD. Dr. Holmes was a clever linguist, and had great influence with tho Cree Indians. He leaves a widow and five children.

DR. Q. S. BARRETT'S SUCCESSOR.

EEY. W. G, JENKINS'S MINISTRY BEGUN. After an interregnum of a little more than a year, a successor to Dr. Barrett at Princes Street Church, Norwich, has been found in tho person of Eov. W. Griffiths Jenkins, late of Higkncdd Church, Hudderstield, Air. Jenkins, previous to receiving the. invitation, occupied tho pulpit but one Sunday, but it was felt that with- the record of work done by him, first at Pontypridd and then ot Huddersflold, there was no need for a second visit. Mr. Jenkins began his ministry on Sunday, February 4, and after the services the feeling throughout tho congregation was one of satisfaction, la person, Mr. Jenkins is spare, lithe, keen, alert, swift in movement and in speech, and from the moment ho enters the pulpit absorbed in his work. Tho morning text was from Hossa, "I will lie as the d-ew unto Israel," etc. In the afternoon Mr. Jenkins addresses tho' P.S.A., which filled the church, on "What is a Twentieth-century Christinn?" In tho evening, to a crowded church, he preached on the text, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock."

BUNYAN MEMORIAL.

WINDOW IX WESTMINSTER ABBEY. The window which has been elected to the memory of John Bunyan in the north, transept of Westminster Abbey was dedicated during Evensong on St. Paul's Day. The. Archbishop of Canterbury waG present, and also Bishop Brent (of the Philippines); Bishop Boyd-Carpenter was in attendance a« one of the Canons of Westminster. Tho window, which was designed by: .Mr. J. X, Comper, is divided into two sections. ■v;ith four lights in each, and a head light above.' At the foot of the first is Bunyan, represented," sleeping, while the other lights contain scenes from tho "Pilgrim's Progress.". The dean (Bishop Ryle), preaching from Hebrews x'ii. 21, 24, said tho.t in the lat'.cr part of the seventeenth century Puritanism produced in England two works of imagination which were works of genius. One wni Milton's "Paradise' Lost," and tho other tho "Pilgrim's Progress." Bunyan drew his work from three sources—from the riches of his own-long spiritual con-. • flict, the masterly qualities he' had won from Holy Scripture, and the shrewd and observant study of his fellov;-men -as townsman, as artisan, and as the. prisoner in Bedford Gaol. * rive Xoncanformist ministers, in academic gowns, wero scat- , ed in the sacrannm—Dr. Clifford and > Rev. J. H. Shakespeare (representing tho i Baptists of England), Dr. Monro Gibson ■ (Presbyterian), Dr. Scott Lidgctt (Wesloyan), .and Dr. R. S. Mac Arthur, of New J York, president of the World's Baptist Alj: liance. The Mayor'cfi Bedford, with his '•: chaplain (a Congregational-minister), .was'j-- also present Div Clifford delivered a--3 brief address, in the course of. which ho [ said the memorial would witness to tho vital truths of the Gospel, to tho funda- • mental facts of Christian experience, and y to the growing catholicity, of Christian v mon, all over the world.

MGR. DUCHESNE'S SUBMISSION,

Jlgr. Duchesne has sent the following brief but expressive letter to Cardinal della Yolpa, Prefect of the S.-Congrega-tion of the Index: "Your Eminence,—A faithful child of the Church, I must submit to it's decisions. I wish, therefore, to declare to your Eminence that 'I bow respectfully before tho decree relating to my book. Accept, your Eminence, the homage of my profound respect.—L. Duchesne." The formula, adopted by the i'aufous Academician is somovjiat original (says the London "Tablet"), and makes iio* reference to tho withdrawal of the condemned work from circulation, but the fact that the. letter has been published without comment in the "Osscrvatore Romano" may bo taken as an indication that it has 'been found satisfactory by the competent authorities, and it puts an end to tho gossip and surmises published in tho Liberal papers as to the nttitudc of tho author. An attempt has been made by one writer to show, that tho Italian edition of the "History of the Ancient Church" does not come under the condemnation because, having undergone a special revision and somo important changes, it is not to be considered as a "translation" of the French work which is the direct, object of tho decree. There is no ground whatever for this theory. All the editions and all the versions aro forbidden.